Monday, August 31, 2015

We tried out the Gym Time offered through Parks and Rec this morning. It was fairly crowded. And it was very loud. Everyone still had a wonderful time!

We couldn't get over how shiny the gym floor was. It had obviously just been waxed.

These four girls stuck together for most of the hour that they were there. And my little toddler really loved the tunnel.

Toddlers are cute. And I think they were a little bit overwhelmed by all the noise. They were very well behaved, and had lots of fun!

A couple of cute sisters with a couple of cute sisters! I noticed yesterday, that their names all have 4 letters in them. And that when I say the two older girls names, they sound similar. And when I say the two younger girls names, they also sound similar. Only because when I only said two names or the others, they would all look at me like I was talking to them. And I was tongue-tied more than once......when I said all four names all at once, it barely ever came out correctly. I am not really all that surprised. My brain has been on over-think for a while now.........

We have now been without electricity for 56 hours. That is a long time! I am thanking God for Miracle #3 and her family who have been providing us with meals and entertainment. Hubby, SIL and Baby did some harvesting yesterday afternoon. And yes, the corn and carrots tasted as good as they looked!

The sun was out most of yesterday afternoon. Unlike today which was rain, rain and more rain. Today it feels like Fall.....

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Baby is looking very grown up these days. At a week shy of being 14 months old, she is really coming into her own.

She has the sweetest little personality. Yes, she is still our needy girl, but not as much as before. She loves her Mommy, a lot. Which is not really a terrible thing......it's just that her Mommy has two other children, and two other daycare children. So, it isn't all about her. Which would have been fine if she was a first child, but she isn't. So she has had to learn very important life skills at a very young age and it is making her a better person.

She is very cute. And a bit of a ham when the camera comes out. She is still so little to all of us, and yet she is probably very average on the percentile scale. I think she is still just over 22 pounds; she fits 12 month size perfectly and a size 5.5 shoe. The more that Summer has progressed, the fairer her hair seems to become, but it is still light brown. And her eyes are a medium brown. She is definitely fairer than her brother and sister ever were, and as much as I used to see her looking so much like her Daddy, I can see her Mommy in her now too. I actually see a lot of my own Mom and Auntie J in her as well. It is interesting, these genetics and how it all works. And changes.

Baby sleeps through the night quite regularly now, but is a terrible napper. Some days it is an hour for the day (2 catnaps) and if we are really lucky, she will go for two 45 minute naps. So her 10-11 hours that she sleeps at night are very precious. Oh, I just love her so much! To the moon and back again!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Thursday, August 27, 2015

I went to the PNE last night. My friends and I left Maple Ridge just before 5 and were parked and in the gates by 5:45. That gave us just enough time to see the show home, (10 minute line-up) eat a delicious dinner at Hunky Bill's (only $13) get some Mini-donuts (3 bags for $10), before we went to go see The Beach Boys.

It was a beautiful evening and I really do think that the North Shore mountains are a magnificent backdrop to the new amphitheater. It was a fabulous show, and we all had the best time out at the Fair! Great evening with great friends!

It is very rare that I take care of my daycare children on their actual birthday. Especially for ones who are self-employed or part time. But it happened yesterday where Jade turned six and she came to Daycare. So I planned a field trip sort of day, that got changed up several times throughout the course of the actual day due to various circumstances. As it turned out, we went to Miracle #3's house first, then to a playground, then to McDonald's for lunch (her choice) and then for a swim in my friend's pool. We arrived back home just before 4, and she was picked up shortly thereafter. I hear that she was off to do more celebrating with her family and I will see her again tomorrow. It was a very very fun day! Happy Birthday Jade! I love you to the moon and back again!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

I have the best friends! I have spent quite a bit of time with my girlfriends in the past week or so. If I haven't seen them in person, I have talked to them on the phone, or by text.

Hubby and I have booked a trip to Vegas in December. One of my very good friends' daughter is getting married on the 28th at the Skyloft at the MGM Grand. It is very exciting, but no one was more excited than me when I got $65 one way flights out of Abbotsford on the 27th to the 31st. I know taxes added up but for just under $500 Canadian, we are going to Vegas. Whoo hoo! We haven't been since 2009, and we are going with 40-50 others, so it should be a spectacular trip. Even our room rate is only $78 a night, so that was a sweet deal as well.

And I am planning a 60th birthday party in November for Hubby and every single one of my friends has asked me what they can do to help. It is still in the very preliminary stages, but I do plan on asking for more assistance as it gets closer. If you are related to me by blood or marriage, you are automatically on the invitation list.....so Shannon and Jennifer, I need your great party planning expertise! Sisters, I need salads and appies! It is a little bit overwhelming, only because our family is so big and our house is so 'not open concept.' But I know it will all come together. It always does.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

You know, sometimes my days go by really slow. But lately, they have been going by fast. My friend came by with coffee at noon and ended up staying until 3:30. We had such a great visit and she just loved looking at pictures with the children.

These three are really funny. Becoming very good friends and enjoying each other's company. Their conversations are very sweet. And I know you won't guess who put their feet through the bars first. It wasn't Tai.

I love these kids! They are very busy and happy people.....As much as they play with one another, they are all very good at playing independently too. And yes, Jade really did colour each space between each line on a piece of paper. Her idea, and it kept her for busy for almost an hour. Seriously!

Pictures like this make my heart melt. I married the kindest man, whose love for his family is so evident. He was always a good dad, but he is an excellent grandpa. Our blessings love him so much, and they all just light up when he comes into the room. This little one was quite tentative when she was visiting the horses last night. As much as her little cousin LOVES animals, Sweet Pea isn't so sure. Her dad was petrified when he was her age, so she is way ahead of him. She will always observe, and she got braver as the twenty minutes or so progressed. Unfortunately, this little horse sneezed a few minutes after I took this.....there were tears, but they were very short-lived. Our babies are growing up way too fast!

It was another beautiful night in the neighbourhood, and we headed down the street to see the little horses again. Sweetheart was still sick and Grandson started hockey school, so we were missing one whole family, but we still had a lovely evening.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Baby Joshua and his Grandma came for a visit today. It was so nice to see them! Isn't he simply adorable? All of the daycare children really liked him, but Jade was particularly smitten. She has always loved babies.

We went to a Mad Science birthday party yesterday, to honour a very special little girl who is turning six on Wednesday.

Grandson and Pretty Girl were so well behaved and totally listening to what the Mad Scientist had to say.

They really enjoyed themselves, and that just proves how eager they are to learn. Believe me, the mad scientist was using enormous words, and she did not have the attention of her entire audience. The little ones (4 and unders) were up and down, up and down and up and down throughout the entire hour long show. Not our blessings.....they made me proud and were a very respectful audience.

This was fun. They were given wind-up flashlights and refraction glasses.

And my little scientists were able to see rainbows in the light. It was very cool!

The mad scientist was playing with fire here, so most of the children were listening at this point. I thought she was very good, but was maybe talking to older children in her presentation. I just don't think that the littles were all that interested in hypotheses, refraction and sodium polyacrylate.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Sweetheart woke up with a fever last night. At 1 o'clock in the morning. Her Mommy gave her some medicine and she went back to sleep, and she woke up totally fine this morning. By 1 o'clock this afternoon her fever was back. So because this has happened two other times in the last five weeks, she went to the Dr. And because I went with #3, I documented her visit.

Sweetheart is hilarious. Like she really should go into Theatre. She was very brave and listened to the Dr so well and did everything he asked. When she was lying on the examining table while she was waiting for the Dr to come, she was telling me how she is sick. And when she was sitting on the end of the table she had lots and lots of questions. My favourite was when she asked what the stirrups were for. She was quite happy with problem solving that one all by herself, and decided they were handles so she could climb up onto the table. My other favourite question was when she asked what the light on the wall at the end if table was for. Her Mommy dodged a bullet on that one by telling her it was a light so the Dr could see in her throat better. She accepted that answer very well, even though the Dr never did use it when he looked in her throat.

Her throat was a bit red and she was swabbed. Which went very well, except Sweetheart kept calling it the choking stick. Her Mommy corrected her by telling her it made her gag, not choke. So okay, then it was a gagging stick. Oh, she makes me laugh. Even when she is sick with a fever of 101.3, she is still so funny!

The next test that the Dr wanted to do was a urine test. Which was next to impossible. She was agreeable enough to go and try, but was adamant that she did not have to go pee. And of course, she was right. So we left with container in hand (or rather in purse) and hoped that we would be able to get her to go sooner than later. Her Mommy bought her an ice tea, she drank most of it, and within the hour, she peed into the container. And of course, in true Sweetheart fashion, she told her Mommy, "wow, it looks like gold, it is so shiny!" Like where does she get this stuff from?!

We are now waiting for her test results to come back, but my guess is a bladder or kidney infection. Any other guesses?

You can tell by looking at her that she is not feeling well. It is in her eyes, they just don't look right.

We had a tremendous day yesterday! We found an amazing park and spent the day with some amazing people!

I love this picture that #3 sent me. Hubby is on the swings with his favourite grandson. Hubby has always liked to swing. From the time I met him in 1979, he would swing with all the children. And then there is me, who gets nauseous when I do it. I think we balance each other out magnificently. In more ways than one.

About Me

I am a wife, a mother, a friend. I own and operate my own family business, a licensed daycare in my home. I often say that I don't really work, which I don't, I play. Rod Black once said that if you choose a career you love, then you never have to work a day in your life. I know that I have done that. Children fascinate me, they have very intriguing behaviours and although I often think I need to evolve past the age of 5, I keep coming back to take care of all the little children. They are the lights of my life, and they help to make my life complete.